Biography

Haim Hefer (Hebrew: חיים חפר‎ 29 October 1925 – 18 September 2012) was a Polish-born Israeli songwriter, poet and writer. He wrote for numerous composers and musical artists, as well as for military bands. Several of his songs, including "Hafinjan" and "Hayu Zmanim", are considered Israeli classics. He was awarded the Israel Prize in 1983 as recognition for his contributions to Israeli music. Haim Feiner (later Hefer) was born in Sosnowiec, Poland in 1925 to Jewish parents Issachar Feiner, a chocolate salesman, and Rivka Herzberg, a housewife. He had a private Hebrew tutor. His family immigrated to Palestine in 1936 and settled in Raanana. He began writing at the age of 13, as part of a national contest. He never finished high school and joined the Palmach in 1943. He took part in smuggling illegal immigrants through Syria and Lebanon. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, he was one of the founders of the Chizbatron, the Palmach army troupe, and was its chief songwriter. He had a nickname, "Kilometer", because he "weighed a kilo and was only a meter in height."Hefer owned a house in Ein Hod, but resided in Tel Aviv. He was married to Ruti Haramati, with whom he had a daughter, Mimi. In 1975–1978 Hefer was a cultural attaché at the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles.On 18 September 2012 (the second day of Rosh Hashanah, 5773), Hefer died at Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, after a long illness.